The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has withdrawn Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) approval of Harvard University, thus withdrawing the institution of its permission to admit foreign students on F-1 and J-1 visas for the 2025–26 school year. The action has stunned academics, considering Harvard’s international reputation, and the harshness of the government’s rationale.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s May 22 letter invoked Harvard’s refusal to comply with requests for information and charged the university with creating “an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies.”
But Noem provided Harvard a limited window of hope: it can regain SEVP certification—if it complies with six stringent conditions and provides the requested materials within 72 hours.
What DHS Is Requesting: The Six Conditions Uncovered
The Department of Homeland Security requested that Harvard University provide detailed records beyond normal compliance. These requests are uncharted in scope and sensitivity.
1. Records of “Illegal Activity” Involving Nonimmigrant Students
DHS is asking the university to submit all written, electronic, and audiovisual records regarding illegal conduct by foreign students during the last five years. This includes criminal charges, judicial investigations, and campus disciplinary measures relating to possible lawbreaking.
2. Records of “Dangerous or Violent Activity”
Harvard will have to make available any evidence of threatening or violent behavior by international students on or off campus. This can be filed reports with law enforcement, internal memos, or security camera footage.
3. Threats Against Students or Employees
The university will have to provide all records of nonimmigrant students who have made threats against fellow students or faculty members verbally, in writing, or implied. This requirement is based on DHS concerns regarding campus safety and intimidation.
4. Episodes of Human Rights Violations
The university should record each episode in which international students supposedly took away somebody’s rights. Examples include the disruption of free speech, harassment, or discriminatory actions.
5. Disciplinary Reports
Harvard should reveal all official disciplinary measures taken against nonimmigrant students during the previous five years, irrespective of whether the students were expelled, suspended, or simply warned.
6. Video Recordings of Protest Activity
Last but not least, DHS is requesting any audio or video record of foreign student-led protests. Recent campus unrest throughout the U.S., particularly protests perceived as sympathetic to organizations such as Hamas, most directly prompted this request.
Noem cautioned Harvard, “Please be advised that providing materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent information may subject you to criminal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 1001.”
A Watershed Moment for Academic Accountability
While controversial, this action could mark a turning point in how the U.S. government interacts with academic institutions, especially when national security and civil liberties collide. Harvard now faces a tight deadline and enormous reputational pressure.
